1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to textile sleeves for protecting elongate members, and more particularly to self wrapping textile sleeves.
2. Related Art
It is known to wrap elongate members, such as pipes, wires and wire harnesses, in protective, self-wrapping textile sleeves, such as in automobiles, aircraft or aerospace craft, to provide protection to the elongate members against vibration, abrasion, fluid and thermal affects. The self-wrapping sleeves have opposite edges extending along the length of the sleeve that are typically biased into overlapping relation with one another to fully enclose a protected internal cavity in which the elongate members being protected are received. Although, at least in some applications, known textile sleeves can provide the protection desired, they typically occupy valuable empty space in shipping and in storage due to their having a relatively rigid tubular configuration upon being manufactured. As such, an increased area is needed to store the sleeves, and a relatively small number of the sleeves can be fit into a box for shipping. Accordingly, with the internal tubular cavity of the sleeves occupying valuable space, shipping and inventory costs tend to be high.